The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
MARSHALL
Blazers Defeat Marshall 4-3
2/28/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 28, 2004
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Left fielder Matt Womble delivered the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the eighth inning with a single to right field that scored shortstop Seth Rollin and lifted UAB to a 4-3 victory over Marshall in baseball action Saturday afternoon at Young Memorial Field. UAB (7-0) has now extended its winning streak to 10 games, dating back to last season. The Blazers also own a 10-game home winning streak in that stretch.
UAB got on the board in the bottom of the second inning when designated hitter Nathan McCorkle homered to right center field.
Marshall (1-7) answered with three runs in the top of the fourth inning. Center fielder Chris Monaco singled through the right side, allowing first baseman Roddy Stieger and shortstop Aaron Jamieson to score the Thundering Herd's first runs of the inning. Third baseman Adam Frederick later singled through the right side, scoring Monaco.
The Blazers got a run in the bottom of the fourth when McCorkle's sacrifice fly to center field scored first baseman Daniel Hill.
UAB tied the score in the bottom of the sixth inning when catcher Eugene Rodriguez singled through the left side, allowing McCorkle to score his second run of the game.
Marshall threatened in the top of the ninth with runners and first and second and nobody out, but Blazer reliever Eric Roberts was able to retire the next three batters in order to pick up his first save of the season.
Jacob Legg (2-0) picked up the win for UAB after coming on in relief of Blazer starter Grant Addison. Legg pitched four and two-thirds innings and allowed no runs on four hits to go along with a walk and two strikeouts. Addison worked three and one-third innings and gave up three runs on five hits. He issued two walks and had four strikeouts. Roberts pitched the final inning for the Blazers and had one strikeout.
"I thought Jacob (Legg) struggled a little bit with his command early," said UAB head coach Larry Giangrosso. "He just kept plugging away and kept battling. He really battled hard for us and kept us in the game. Matt's (Womble) hit was huge. That is one of the benefits of having a guy that has been around. Tomorrow will be big for us. I didn't think we played as sharp as we should have today. It will be important for us to come back tomorrow and gain this sweep. That gives us a lot of confidence if we can do it."
Chris Cummings (1-1) took the loss for Marshall after coming on in relief of Thundering Herd starter Chris Koutsavlis. Cummings worked two-thirds of an inning and gave up one run on two hits, had two walks and one strikeout. Koutsavlis pitched six and two-thirds innings and allowed three runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out one.
Senior infielder Josh Miljavac continued the team's longest hitting streak with his single to center field in the bottom of the fifth inning. Miljavac's streak is now at 10 games as he closed last season on a three-game streak and has posted a hit in each of UAB's seven contests this season.
UAB will try for the three-game sweep of the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
